Dean, West Liberty University College of Education
Twitter: @WLCollegeofEd
Facebook: WLUCOE
LinkedIn: Keely Camden
Website: westliberty.edu/education
Written by Samantha Cart
Keely Camden always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Her compassion for others was evident from the abandoned cat she adopted as a child to the neighborhood children she babysat as a teenager.
Growing up in Moundsville, WV, Camden was particularly drawn to the local library. She spent hours scouring the shelves for books by her favorite author, Torey Hayden, and by age 16, she had read all of Hayden’s books multiple times. “Hayden wrote true accounts of her experiences teaching, and her area of specialty was emotional and behavioral disorders in children,” says Camden. “I had always wanted to be a teacher, but Hayden sparked my interest in and passion for special education and working with children who have unique challenges.”
Camden pursued her passion for education, earning degrees from Bethany College, Old Dominion University and West Virginia University in elementary and special education. Her first job post-college was teaching children with autism and developmental delays in Norfolk, VA. “My class consisted of six boys, ages 3-6, none of whom were potty-trained or communicated verbally,” Camden says. “The experience taught me that teaching students with disabilities and learning challenges is humbling and that life in a special education classroom was going to be unique.”
Camden’s obvious passion for education has propelled her to her current position as the dean of the College of Education at West Liberty University (WLU). She has spent her career advocating for quality education in the Mountain State and worked to create new programs in reading, early childhood intervention, athletic coaching education, community education and middle school education to meet the needs of school districts in her area. She was instrumental in the creation of the Center for Arts in Education at WLU, merging traditional and nontraditional education models. “I consider my greatest success to be the successes of the students with whom I have worked in higher education,” Camden says. “I love hearing about their experiences, receiving unsolicited letters of thanks and attending weddings and baby showers of former students who became friends.”
While Camden works to improve her community through education, she is also passionate about service, especially causes that involve children, creativity and the empowerment of women. She is a former board member for the Augusta Levy Learning Center for Children with Autism and the coordinator for the women’s boutique at the Wheeling YWCA, and she currently serves on boards for New City, the Wheeling Preservationist and Downtown Restoration Project; Wheeling Country Day School and the Children’s Museum of the Ohio Valley.
Camden also serves as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for Ohio County, where she is assigned cases to review for children and teens who are in the foster care system or who are going through the family court system as a result of domestic abuse or neglect. CASAs work independently from Child Protective Services but with a similar goal, which is to procure information that can be used in the decision of the court as to what is best for a child in terms of placement and safety. Camden had to undergo a rigorous training process to be accepted as a CASA, but she feels that it is an incredibly worthwhile organization. “I taught in public schools, so I have always had a special affinity and respect for the work done on behalf of children in the foster care system,” she says.
Camden’s greatest motivation lies in knowing that one person can make a difference in the life of another. “Just being there—really being there and caring for someone else without judgment or condemnation—this is what is needed most,” she says.
What is your favorite . . . ?
Color – Soft pink
Food – Bean tacos
Cartoon Character –
Ice Cream – Chocolate chip
Animal – Orangutan
Book – “Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead” by Brene Brown and “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” by Simon Sinek
App – Pinterest
Midnight Snack – Popcorn with Molly McButter
TV Show – “VICE”
Movie – “Hitch”
Smell – Vanilla
Sport Team – West Liberty University Hilltoppers
Car – Toyota Highlander
Pet – Toy poodles
Place – Beach on the Gulf of Mexico
Season – Summer
Local Restaurant – Later Alligator
Era – 1960s
